Now, let me confess something to you, I’m pretty stinking car illiterate. I know things like… how to put gas in the car and how to check the oil and add more if it’s needed. Yeah. That’s about it. Don’t get me wrong, I know the concept of things like changing a tire or changing the oil but I’ve never had to do it myself. I mean, really, I didn’t even buy a car until I graduated from college and by then Nate and I were engaged so I just let him handle the grimy stuff.

I’m a strong, independent woman who does stuff like take an 8+ hour road trip to visit my best friend in Idaho all on my lonesome so I figure it’s high time I learn how to make sure the car’s in tip top shape! Yes, Nate will still be responsible for it while we’re going on our together adventures (I mean, really, how hot is a guy who can work on a car?) but now I feel much more confident when I’m all alone.

Going on a road trip soon? Here are some things to make sure you do beforehand.

Make Sure Your Tires are Good to Go

Tires make the car go. If tires aren’t good the car isn’t good. Got it? 😉 Before heading out on a long road trip make sure your tires have been rotated sometime recently. If they haven’t, go get it done! While you’re doing that (or instead of doing that if it’s already been done) get your tire pressure checked too! Keeping your tires well taken care of will go a long way!

Check Your Oil

Some of you may have magical unicorn vehicles that don’t burn/leak oil so you’re in luck in this regard – your oil should be just fine. For those of us who drive vehicles that have almost 250,000 miles on them, though, we’re not quite so lucky. You don’t want to ruin your engine because you ran out of oil do you? I didn’t think so. Be smart. Check your oil.

Check Your Other Fluid Levels

There are so many different types of fluid in cars you guys… Windshield wiper fluid, break fluid, coolant, power steering fluid… The list goes on and on. Before heading out on a long trip make sure to check that they’re all filled and ready to go! It takes 2 seconds to fill them back up but if you’re in the middle of nowhere when you run out of something like break fluid it could be super detrimental!

Change Your Air Filter

Did you know that the air filter is your car engine’s first line of defense? We all want our engines to keep running, right? We should probably ensure our air filters are clean. A clean air filter does so much to help keep dirt and dust from entering into the engine and damaging it!

Nate loves the FRAM Extra Guard Air Filter and makes sure to get the one that’s right for my Honda CRV (or his Subaru Outback if we’re driving in his car) at Walmart. I’m not just saying that, you guys, this was the same filter that was taken out of the car while changing it for the writing of this post. This is the filter that we for reals use! It only took Nate about three minutes to change the filter (meaning it would have taken me about five) so you have no excuse for not changing yours out!

Your Turn:What do you do to make sure your car is road trip ready?Which air filter is right for your car?

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Welcome!

I’m Susannah! The grace of Jesus defines my life. I’m a wife to Nate, a mama to Caleb and Josiah, and a friend to anyone who will let me. I’m pretty sure that coffee will always be my first love. Please stick around and join me in reclaiming the beauty of living a simple life.